Lockheed delivers first upgraded M270

By Ethan Sterenfeld / July 13, 2022 at 2:45 PM

Lockheed Martin delivered the first M270A2, the newest generation of the Army's tracked rocket launcher, on July 12, according to a press release from the same day.

“This delivery represents a significant milestone for Lockheed Martin as the modernized system will support the Army and allied partners for decades to come,” Jay Price, vice president for precision fires at Lockheed’s missiles and fire control segment, said in the press release.

The M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System fires rockets and missiles in corps-level artillery brigades. The A2 variant adds compatibility with upgraded munitions the Army is developing, including the Precision Strike Missile.

Newly upgraded M270s will be fielded in battalion sets that grow the Army’s rocket artillery fleet, the program manager for the system said last fall. An expansion of long-range fires has emerged as the top priority in the Army’s modernization portfolio.

Each M270 battalion will receive three batteries of nine M270A2s each, which will replace the two batteries of eight M270A1s that are currently fielded. This will leave each battalion with 27 A2 systems, whereas they each currently have 16 A1 systems.

Lockheed won a $224 million contract in April to continue production on the A2 upgrade. A $33 million contract announced in June will allow the company to begin a similar upgrade on British M270s.

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